This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
On Saturday, August 10, 2019, anti-riot police barred worshippers from entering the Nairobi Central SDA Church, located opposite Nairobi Area Police Station in Milimani, as the fallout among church leaders continued.
A heavy police contingent manned the gate from early morning, preventing the congregation from attending the church's camp meeting.
The dispute between church leaders stems from the 2015 election of heads of the Central Kenya Conference of the SDA Church, under which the Nairobi Central Church falls.
Some delegates who attended the election in Karura, the conference headquarters, felt that the process was manipulated, leading to the registration of a rival section, the Nairobi Cosmopolitan Conference, as a splinter of the Central Kenya Conference.
Members of the Cosmopolitan Conference had previously boycotted the Nairobi Central Church and worshipped at the Technical University of Kenya in April.
As the church dispute persists, the Nairobi Central SDA Church remains at the center of the controversy.
